
The Army will start the New Year by ending the winding, opaque search for the XM17 Modular Handgun System, a late Christmas present to replace its worn out Beretta M9 standard pistol.All of the dozen or so companies that submitted proposals to replace the Beretta M9 sidearm were notified on Sept. 16 whether their design remained in the running after the Army established a competitive performance range.Even this late in the game, the companies that submitted handguns to the competition…